Fallen Student's Family Pushes For Investigation

BOSTON -- The family of a Massachusetts man shot and killed by police in New York City last month is pushing for the release of surveillance tapes that may give them more information about his death.

College student Danroy “DJ” Henry of Easton was shot and killed by police outside a tavern near Pace University in New York. In the three weeks since, his family has tried to reconcile conflicting reports from police, who say they shot Henry after he hit two officers with his car, and his friends, who say he was shot without provocation.

Angella Henry appealed for people's continued support as the Henry family tries to learn more about DJ's death.

“With the family are grieving, or trying to grieve, we’re having a hard time because we don’t know why our son was taken,” said Henry’s mother, Angella, in an appeal for support on YouTube.

Henry’s grandparents, Peggy Murphy-Dozier and Woody Reese of Brockton, told WGBH’s Emily Rooney that the family is pressing for a review of Henry’s death by the U.S. Department of Justice, rather than an internal review of the death by law enforcement officials in New York.

“I have a real problem with police investigating police and then presenting that police evidence to the D.A.” said Peggy Murphy-Dozier, Henry’s grandmother, “We wanted an impartial investigation.”

On Monday, Henry’s parents asked a New York judge to release security tapes that would show just what happened with Henry’s car outside the nightclub – and how police responded.

The request has concern that releasing that footage could taint a jury in the Henry family’s case against the police – but Reese said he wants to see those tapes out of police’s hand and into those of an impartial party as soon as possible.

“We need these tapes, because the tapes are from the parking lot, they are from a bank, CVS, store like that,” said Reese. “And I think that will tell how the car took off.”